Saturday, 8 September 2012

'That's Soooooo Last Season!'- Waders in the autumn

Hilbre Island is a small sandstone outcrop off the Wirral coast. It was at one point a spindly prominentary, but has since fallen foul of erosion and consequently is now a tidal island. It is home to a bird observatory and one of the UK's best wader roosts, mainly because of the lack of disturbance from the general public. It really is one of my favourite places on earth.

Still, as I looked across the sea from west kirby towards the island I looked with aprehension. This was mainly because i'd arrived by train from Liverpool and noticed I wasn't wearing a pair of wellies. Or walking boots. I was wearing a pair of trainers. So as I stared across the sands I had the unappealing prospect of soggy feet all day. So like the sensible person I am I took them off and tied them to the bag and crossed Croagh Patrick style. It was only as I reached Hilbre I did a headcount and found i'd lost a shoe. I was informed by someone crossing that the absent shoe was half way back to the mainland, and so ensued a race against the tide to retrieve the shoe before it did. I won. Just.

But this was all worth it, for as I sat and had my lunch a Pomerine Skua passed north-south along the island. This was followed by the wader roost, as it circled the island looking for suitable rocks. I caught up with them as they landed on the usual ledges, precariously placed below the cliff edge. This meant that into the equation I had to place both getting those killer shots AND staying alive. They say that if you wriggle towards waders they tolerate you on the grounds you look like a seal. I thought I looked more like a tit.

Still, some cracking individuals to look at, although sadly the bestest ones were lower down and out'a reach. To kick off here's a moulting Turnstone, taken looking down on it...

...here's a more wintery individual on the very recognisable sandstone island...

...its comical watching them try and move around on one foot, they refuse to put the second one down...!

...one of the finer looking birds...

...but roosting waders present a problem of bokeh. As they rest they like to be hard up against the rocks, so when you're trying to get close to them you have to try and angle yourself so as you get some depth of field. This one was well placed...

...a sleepy one...

...Peekaboo...!

...but its not just Turnstone on Hilbre. As I scanned them I located a small group of Dunlin, not as respledecant as they were when I watched them on Shetland, but still stunning wee birds...!

...this one's a bit over the top...!

...and the obligatory portrait...

...and after I informed the bird observatory of my wader counts and seawatch bounty I set off over the sands, sun setting behind and wader massing in front, reflecting for the umpteenth time this holiday, its not so bad being off.